Boat slips with character and charm line the harbour reminiscent of Nova Scotia’s famed Peggy’s Cove.
Have you ever come to a location and wondered how you’ve never heard of this spot before? Every now and again this happens to me and when it does, I am usually rewarded with plenty of photo opportunities that can last well past the patience of my partner. 🙂 These boat slips may be old, rusted, and even falling apart, but those characters are what made this area so photogenic for me.
Varying in size from extra large to small, coloured in white, green, and even pink, these slips had a certain je ne sais quoi appeal to them that I could have photographed for hours. Had it not been for my eagerness to find and photograph the Sandhill Cranes, I would have stayed a little longer to appreciate my surroundings.
One of the many slips located at Port Rowan Harbour Marina. 
Some of these slips popped in colour, especially with the blue skies that day. 
Smaller slips like these lined the marina, reminding me of the quaint village of Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia. 
This colourful post shining in the bright sun was screaming for attention. 
Pink slip backed by blue skies and white puffy clouds.
As much as I enjoyed seeing these boat slips as a whole, it’s the smaller details that gave this area so much to photograph. Concentrating on the texture of the wood and metal and the details of the doors really showcased the age and stories these slips have experienced season after season.
The door was open for this particular boat slip, allowing passersby to get a glimpse of the inside. The lone boat, tethered to the slip by the blue rope, was just waiting for the ice to melt away to get out and explore the waters of Lake Erie again. Part of the interest in coming during the winter is that we get to see the ice in front, and most doors closed. I would imagine the doors would be open during the summer, and the boats perhaps left outside, which may create a different feel to the area. Click on the first image to enlarge the gallery.
Plastic bags hang in front of the closed door. 
Wooden posts are placed in front of doorways for extra security. 
Two blue hues. 
The white puffy clouds resembles those from The Simpsons.
The Other Side
Moving to the front side of these boat slips, they were decorated and painted in colours that coordinated so well with each other, it’s almost as if a designer had come in and painted this entire stretch of slips. To capture the essence of the area, I attempted to photograph whatever details of each boat slip that struck me. Whether they were patterns, shadows from the sun, the colour of paint used, or just the funkiness of it all, it really was a fun challenge to see what I could do to capture its essence.
Doors
Doors are a passageway to the other side. The doors of these slips seemed to be a reoccurring theme in my photos. Whether they were stripped of their paint, chipped, or lopsided, they created an interesting focal point that I couldn’t resist to capture. Click on the first image to enlarge the gallery.
Two doors. Two colours. Another boat slip that plays on symmetry, this one is divided simply by a paint colour. The weathered paint and wood bring this face to life. 
Closed for the season. The old and derelict awning is what caught my attention here. The rusted blue is a slightly brighter blue than the door, which is locked for the season with a padlock. 
The vibrant turquoise not only pops out at you but contrasts and coordinates well with the dark gray surrounding wall. 
No Parking. This seated up door is blocked by a wooden beam with a No Parking sign under the window.
Door Details
When you dig down to the finer details of simple objects like doors, it really brings out the true character of these magical passageways. With these closeups I tried to let the texture of the wood shine through, enhance the shadow-play produced by the bright sun, and allowed the eclectic colours to really show their strength. These were achieved by cropping out the unnecessary details and orienting the crop to complement the direction of the patterns on the wood and metal. Click on the first photo to enlarge the gallery.
Red, white, and baby blue. A portrait composition on this face extends the door vertically, following in the direction of the line of the wall. 
The Nosey Bess. This pastel-like colour palette can brighten any area. The added sign on top of the door adds a bit of character to this particular boat slip. 
Another dimension. At first glance, it may seem like the metal and wood are on one flat wall—but perspective can play tricks on your eyes. A play on texture and perspective here as the far right wall is angled away from the camera, unlike the rest of the wall. 
21. This lime green door and trim really stood out amongst all the gray painted walled slips. The multiple shades of green here really helps liven the area as well. 
Colour coordinated. Despite the weather-stripped door, the colours coordinated well with the rest of the slip, making for one chic frontage. 
The smartly painted slip was one of—if not the most—modern looking of slips. The natural walnut-like tone of the wood out front matched perfectly. with the two hues of the blue.
Decorative Details
Now we move on to the decorative details these slips had near the entrance. There were a variety of objects that helped liven the mood of these sometimes beaten-down structures, often showing the playfulness of the owners. I appreciated the fun details ranging from a fish to “No Parking” signs to even a bird house where I didn’t realize a bird was out posing for me until I walked a little closer.
This way to the lake. Small details like this arrow on the front of this slip make for interesting details to focus on. 
Peeking through the window, we can see the boat parked in the slip. 
Fish on a wall. I found this fish on the wall with a shadow of a line directly behind it. Perhaps the line just missed the fish! 
Red hot bird house. At this point the sun shone brightly on the top of this bright red slip. I didn’t realize it at first, but later realized there was actually a real bird sitting in front of this birdhouse. The long shadow of the house on the wall of the slip creates an element of interest. 
Mariner’s Compass. There’s a bird house on the far left here, with a bird standing out at front. Ironically, this is the darkest object in the frame. 
No Parking. This hand-made No Parking sign pops out in the midst of the light grey-painted wall. The negative space further emphasis this sign. 
Can on the wall. The sign on this wall read Canorous. I chose to crop it to read a little positivity to this photo. 
Anchor away. The small white anchor sits on a wooden plaque, which is crossed by the shadow of a line. 
I loved the school of fish as if it was swimming in the Yellow Sea. There is the No Parking sign that was quite the popular sign in all of the slips.
Minimalism
What does minimalism have to do with boat slips you may ask? These slips are often quite large, allowing the entirety of the metal walls or wooden planks to help in creating a minimal composition. I particularly liked the winding meter pipes that acted as an object of interest amongst the otherwise bare walls. Click on the first image to enlarge the gallery.
Orange meter. Another meter and line which is painted the same colour as the wall. I love how the face of the meter is the only thing that is not painted orange. 
Red meter. The minimalism of this particular slip really caught my eye. I loved the linear elements of this wall. Here the gray meter and line disrupts the red wall while the shadow further creates a peculiar shape on the wall. 
No Parking on Smith Road. I love the curvature of the pipe on the left, extending from the bottom all the way to the top. The No Parking sign is literally on top of the Smith Road sign, so there is no parking on Smith Rd. 😉 
Curve on a wall. This is picture of a meter line curving on a wall. It’s also a minimal take in an urban environment. 
Rice Bay Club. There is apparently a rich history behind this club, which you can read here. This sign seems weathered; could it even be an original dating back to the early 1900s? 
This sky-blue hue was brightly painted to match the blue of that day’s sky. The window covering was finished with a white trim that accented nicely with the overall colour of the slip.
Home
The last couple of photos comes from the home situated directly in front of the slips. While I could have concentrated more time on this one home alone, I only have the one photo of the port window that I took from behind a tree for added depth.
The second photo is of the stacked wooden platforms that you see in the foreground of the featured image of this blog. Rather than take its photo from the side, I took a picture of it looking down the stack to allow us to appreciate the depth of wooden platforms stacked against each other.
Port hole. The side of this wall was decorated with a window with nice wooden trims. Shot behind a tree to create a sense of depth. 
Looking down wooden platforms. These platforms were stacked one on top of each other, but I found this perspective to be a little more intriguing, contrasting nicely with the smooth blue sky above it.
Have you been to Port Rowan Harbour Marina before? Did you find it as interesting as I did? Let me know in the comments below.
Hi, Norfolk Township is trying to sell the Port Rowan Harbour. Devastating if it becomes another condo nightmare. The town is trying to prevent it. Love your photographs. This link is for a group trying to figure out what options there is.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1048270013501783/?multi_permalinks=1050313323297452¬if_id=1727899376877725¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif